During the 1980s WHO and FAO reviewed the requirements for protein, energy, vitamin A, folate, iron, and several other vitamins and minerals. With regard to vitamins and minerals, there is enough new research to once again justify updating our information on the subject. For example, there is a great deal of new evidence indicating that besides preventing deficiency diseases, some vitamins and minerals play an important role in preventing diet-related chronic diseases, one of modern society’s major causes of morbidity and mortality. Evidence is also mounting on the importance of micronutrients for immune function, physical work capacity, and cognitive development, including learning capacity in children.
Accordingly, WHO and FAO organized a joint expert consultation in Bangkok (September 1998). The principal purposes of this expert consultation were to:
* review new scientific information since the last FAO/WHO publication on specific nutrient requirements (1974) and prepare recommendations for daily nutrient intakes for infants, children, young and older adults, and pregnant and lactating women; and
* develop a report on human nutrition requirements to serve as an authoritative source of information for Member States in planning and procuring food supplies for population subgroups, interpreting food-consumption surveys, establishing standards for food-assistance programmes, and designing nutrition education programmes.
The scope of the expert consultation, and the subsequent recommended nutrient requirements, included over twenty essential nutrients. These nutrients comprise the basis of all human nutrition:
protein, energy, vitamin A and carotene, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin C, antioxidants, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium and iodine.
For each nutrient, consideration was given to function, metabolism, dietary intake patterns, requirement levels, and toxicity. Basal requirements, safe intake levels, recommended dietary allowances, and tolerable upper intake levels are to be established for each. A detailed technical report of the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, in addition to a briefer handbook on human nutrient requirements, were published in 1999.
Accordingly, WHO and FAO organized a joint expert consultation in Bangkok (September 1998). The principal purposes of this expert consultation were to:
* review new scientific information since the last FAO/WHO publication on specific nutrient requirements (1974) and prepare recommendations for daily nutrient intakes for infants, children, young and older adults, and pregnant and lactating women; and
* develop a report on human nutrition requirements to serve as an authoritative source of information for Member States in planning and procuring food supplies for population subgroups, interpreting food-consumption surveys, establishing standards for food-assistance programmes, and designing nutrition education programmes.
The scope of the expert consultation, and the subsequent recommended nutrient requirements, included over twenty essential nutrients. These nutrients comprise the basis of all human nutrition:
protein, energy, vitamin A and carotene, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin C, antioxidants, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium and iodine.
For each nutrient, consideration was given to function, metabolism, dietary intake patterns, requirement levels, and toxicity. Basal requirements, safe intake levels, recommended dietary allowances, and tolerable upper intake levels are to be established for each. A detailed technical report of the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, in addition to a briefer handbook on human nutrient requirements, were published in 1999.
